Third Tv Station May Be Coming To Lehigh Valley

The Lehigh Valley may be getting its third television station if the Federal Communications Commission approves an application filed by a New York real estate investor.

Ashford Communications - formed by Mary Ashford of Syracuse, N.Y. its transmitter on East Rock Road in Allentown.

Ashford, who has no other broadcast properties, would be the sole owner.

Michael Thurman, Ashford's broadcast consultant and owner of Michael Thurman Associates of Syracuse, said the station would feature "wholesome family entertainment," similar to the type seen on television during the 1950s and 1960s.

Thurman said Ashford was "disenchanted" with depictions of sex and violence in programming offered by the TV networks and cable-TV.

"She's looking for TV the whole family can watch without embarrassing parents or teen-agers," Thurman said.

Ashford chose the Lehigh Valley because she believes the area has a audience for her type of programming, Thurman said.

According to the FCC application filed two weeks ago, the station would broadcast at 5-million watts, the maximum allowed, and its signal would extend to the northeast edge of Philadelphia.

Thurman said that Ashford also plans to operate a production studio for the station, which would also be in Bethlehem.

He predicted the broadcasting company would employ 25 people, while the production company would employ 18 to 25 people. Some employees would work at both companies, Thurman said.

An FCC official said that the application will be considered after August 15 if the commission doesnot receive bids from other companies or requests to block the new station.

Thurman predicted there would be other bids for the station, resulting in FCC hearings to decide on a particular company. "We're looking at about a year before we would start operating," he said.

Richard Dean, general manager of WFMZ-TV, Channel 69, said other applicants for Channel 60 "are a possibility."

WFMZ has applied to the FCC for permission to move Channel 60 to the Stroudsburg area, Dean said.

Sheldon P. Siegel, president of public television station WLVT-TV, Channel 39, said a third station would have little or no effect on his station's programming.

Siegel added he doubted whether the station would be "viable" because the market has a number of television stations. "I don't see what they have that's new," he said.